What is this close-up picture? (WotsThat: Graphite pencil tip)

Question

What object is shown in this zoomed-in close-up photo?

BogIron · Accepted Answer

Graphite pencil tip. Graphite Pencil Tips When you sharpen a pencil, you're not actually sharpening graphite—you're sharpening the wood around it, which means the graphite core is slightly recessed inside the tip and never touches a sharpener's blade. This clever design is why graphite pencils can write so smoothly; that tiny air gap between the graphite tip and the wood prevents the fragile graphite from snapping off every time you sharpen.

Answer: Graphite pencil tip

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